Saint Patrick's Prayer (An Irish Prayer)

 As I arise today,

may the strength of God pilot me,
the power of God uphold me,
the wisdom of God guide me.
May the eye of God look before me,
the ear of God hear me,
the word of God speak for me.
May the hand of God protect me,
the way of God lie before me,
the shield of God defend me,
the host of God save me.
May Christ shield me today.
Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit,
Christ when I stand,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
Amen

Consecration of Family Prayer

 

CONSECRATION OF OUR FAMILY TO THE HOLY FAMILY 

*This act of consecration to the Holy Family will unite the members of your family more closely to God and to one another.

Prayer

O Jesus, our most loving Redeemer, Who having come to enlighten the world, with Your teaching and example, willed to pass the greater part of Your life in humility and subjection to Mary and Joseph in the poor home of Nazareth, thus sanctifying the Family that was to be an example for all Christian families, graciously receive our family as it dedicates and consecrates itself to You this day. Defend us, guard us and establish among us Your holy fear, true peace and concord in Christian love: in order that by conforming ourselves to the divine pattern of Your Family we may be able, all of us without exception, to attain to eternal happiness.

Mary, dear Mother of Jesus and Mother of us, by your kind intercession make this our humble offering acceptable in the sight of Jesus, and obtain for us His graces and blessings.

Saint Joseph, most holy Guardian of Jesus and Mary, assist us by your prayers in all our spiritual and temporal necessities; that we may be able to praise our divine Savior Jesus, together with Mary and you, for all eternity.

Our Father, Hail Mary and Gloria three times.

Prayer Source: Catholic Family Handbook, The by Rev. George A. Kelly, Random House, Inc., New York, 1959 

#BVM #JMJ  #ConsecrationOfOurFamily #TheHolyFamily 

Prayer To Our Mother for Help In Your Journey Through This Lent

Praying Through Our Lady

on

Your Lenten Journey

“Dear Mary, teach me your ways, 

that God may count me worthy of receiving his Son, 

Our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Open my heart to serve 

all who are in need. 

Give me patience in trial. 

Obtain for me a share of 

God’s gracious forgiveness, 

for my sins are many. 

May I give myself wholly to Our Savior 

throughout this Lenten season, 

ever confident in hope that by his passion, 

death, and resurrection I am saved.” Amen.

Sts. Perpetua and Felicity

 

"Feast of Sts. Perpetua and Felicity"

By Fr. Jacob Boddicker, SJ

Noble-born Perpetua, child at breast,

Taken first by Christ, then by jealous Rome

Who sought from Heaven her heart to wrest;

Bound was she in chains, taken from her home.

Too was brought Felicity, round with child,

And bore him ‘fore her own labor began,

From “blood to blood” down the wedding aisle

To the Spouse of Martyrs, the God-Made-Man.

Two sisters in Christ stood before the crowd,

Stripped, then robed to satisfy false dismay

Before they battled with a wild cow,

Their sex mocked; yet manly faith won the day.

Treading the Serpent’s head, spurning his hiss,

Rose they to Heaven’s perpetual bliss.

Painting: Perpetua refusing her father's pleas to deny Christ. Artist unknown.

Saint Gabriel ,the Archangel

 

Feast Day of St. Grabriel the Archangel | March 24,2022

Friday, March 24 was the original feast day of St. Gabriel the Archangel. You might know that he delivered the message to Mary saying that she was going to be the Mother of God, but what else do you know? Most saints are people who started out just like us. They made mistakes, but they key was that they got back up and got closer to God because of it.

But St. Gabriel the Archangel is an angel, making him very close to God. In fact, he was a very important angel. One could say that he had the most important job in history, besides perhaps, Mary. Gabriel was the messenger to Mary. He delivered the message to her from God that she had been chosen to carry and deliver the Son of God. However, not many people know that that was the last job he had that was mentioned in the Bible.

Before that, he had to deliver some other messages too. First, Gabriel appears to the Prophet Daniel in his sleep to explain the visions he was having. Then, he appears to Zacharias to tell him that his wife Elizabeth, Mary’s cousin, is pregnant. After this visit is when he appears to Mary to tell her that she will give birth to the Son of God. Originally, his feast day was on March 24, the day before the Annunciation. However in 1969, after Vatican II, it was changed to September 29 so that the feast day would be together with the other archangels, Michael and Raphael. It can be good to pray through the intercession of St. Gabriel because he is obviously very close to God.

God entrusted Gabriel with the delivering of the most important message of the Catholic faith, as well as other messages. Because of this, he is the patron saint of messengers, telecommunications workers, and postal workers.

SAINT GABRIEL THE ARCHANGEL, PRAY FOR US🙏

SOURCE: https://lookingglass.montroseschool.org/front-page-scroll/2017/03/26/st-gabriel-the-archangel-feast-day-march-24/

PADRE PIO'S PRAYER TO HIS GUARDIAN ANGEL

Below is Padre Pio’s personal prayer to his Guardian Angel that he prayed on a daily basis. 

Oh, my Holy guardian Angel, care for my soul and my body.

Enlighten my mind that I may better know the Lord my God and love Him with all my heart.

Watch over me when I pray so I won't give into life's distractions.

​Sustain me with your counsel as I live as righteous Christian, and help me to do good works with a giving heart.

Protect me from the cunning of the adversary, and lift me up when I am being tempted so I may win the fight against evil.

Stay beside me at all times, never stop watching over me until I'm called back to the father's house, where we will praise together our Great God for all eternity. Amen.
​

Our Father...

Hail Mary...

Glory Be...

Remember, for your prayers to be answered: 1. Pray with a contrite heart 2. Help the needy There are prayers or petitions that take time before God answers them. Be persistent in praying and have patience. Never give up or surrender. This is because God is challenging us to deepen our faith in him. If He answered your prayer, whether with the intercession of Mother Mary or angels or saints, never forget to thank them. Continue to pray. And share your story to inspire others. God bless!

Share this prayer with someone today because (s)he might need this now. Help us spread this prayer.

PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT (Monday Devotion to the Holy Spirit)

 PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

(Monday Devotion to the Holy Spirit)

Come, Holy Spirit, fill my heart with Your holy gifts. Let my weakness be penetrated with Your strength this very day that I may fulfill all the duties of my state conscientiously, that I may do what is right and just. Let my charity be such as to offend no one, and hurt no one's feelings; so generous as to pardon sincerely any wrong done to me. Assist me, O Holy Spirit, in all my trials of life, enlighten me in my ignorance, advise me in my doubts, strengthen me in my weakness, help me in all my needs, protect me in temptations and console me in afflictions. Graciously hear me, O Holy Spirit, and pour Your light into my heart, my soul, and my mind. Assist me to live a holy life and to grow in goodness and grace. Amen.

Prayer to the Holy Family

 

THE HOLY FAMILY PRAYER 

JESUS, Son of God and Son of Mary, bless our family. Graciously inspire in us the unity, peace, and mutual love that you found in your own family in the little town of Nazareth.

MARY, Mother of Jesus and Our Mother, nourish our family with your faith and your love. Keep us close to your Son, Jesus, in all our sorrows and joys.

JOSEPH, Foster-father to Jesus, guardian and spouse of Mary, keep our family safe from harm. Help us in all times of discouragement or anxiety.

HOLY FAMILY OF NAZARETH, make our family one with you. Help us to be instruments of peace. Grant that love, strengthened by grace, may prove mightier than all the weaknesses and trials through which our families sometimes pass. May we always have God at the center of our hearts and homes until we are all one family, happy and at peace in our true home with you. Amen.

PRAYER FOR THE CONVERSION OF YOUR FAMILY

 PRAYER FOR THE CONVERSION OF YOUR FAMILY

“In the name of the Father, and of the Son,

and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

Eternal Father,

I offer You the Most Precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your Son Jesus, in atonement for my sins and the sins of my family. May the Blood and Water from the pierced Heart of Jesus cleanse my family line of every stain of sin, and remove every evil influence. Amen.

Immaculate Mother Mary,

Please crush the head of the serpent in the life of each member of my family, and work your miracles of grace in each soul. Please hold each member of my family (and me) in your Immaculate Heart. Amen.

Precious Blood of Jesus, wash over us. Precious Blood of Jesus, wash over my family. Precious Blood of Jesus, wash over me.

Eternal Father,

In the Name of Jesus, please create an opening in the soul of each member of my family. And please give each member of my family the graces of True Repentance and Conversion to Your Son Jesus. Please give each member of my family the grace to experience Your Love, and be transformed by It. Amen.

Eternal Father,

In the Name of Your Son Jesus, please send an honor guard of angels to surround, protect, defend, guide, guard, assist and minister to each member of my family (and me) today, and every day. Amen.

Angels from heaven, direct my path.

Saints in heaven, pray for us.

“In the Name of the Father, and of the Son,

and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

The Value of Praying the Stations of the Cross

Merits of Praying the Stations of the Cross

1. It gives us a way to make a spiritual pilgrimage.


In 1686, the Franciscans began displaying the Stations of the Cross in their churches. It made it easier for the faithful to pray this devotion. In 1726, Pope Benedict XIII granted it the same indulgence as visiting Jerusalem. Our hearts walk along with Jesus on His final steps as we pray.


2. We can gain a plenary indulgence to shorten our time in Purgatory.


There are a few conditions to receive this indulgence. First, we must receive the sacrament of Confession and be in a state of grace (detached from sin). It must be within 20 days (before or after) praying the devotion. We must also receive the Eucharist within that timeline. Next, we pray for the Pope’s intentions. An extra requirement is that we (or a leader) move from station to station as we pray. We can still gain a partial indulgence if we cannot meet every condition.




3. Praying the Stations of the Cross helps inspire deep prayer.


God gives us the grace to contemplate the suffering of Jesus and feel deep empathy and love for Him. As we meditate on the events, they become more vivid and take root in our hearts.


4. We can look at suffering from a different perspective.


Our Lord understands our struggles and gives us the grace we need to bear them well. We can learn how to do this from His example. He endured His suffering with patience, dignity, and humility. Jesus never stopped loving, forgiving, and praying for his persecutors. Even though the situation was so intense, He obeyed God’s Will. His response to such an extreme situation was one of love. He endured it for our salvation. From His example, we can learn to love with humility and patience despite our broken world.




5. Praying this devotion helps us grow in our love for God.


We can express our love for Him as we pray the stations. It reminds us that we are not alone in our struggles. Jesus chose to embrace every aspect of human life, including suffering and death. He embraced human suffering on the Cross in a way no one else ever had before Him or ever will again. He made it redemptive by conquering evil with good. Through grace and our union with His suffering, we can learn to offer up our struggles out of love for others.


6. Praying the stations helps us to become holy.


We learn to have more compassion for those who suffer. It pulls us out of our selfishness and teaches us to sacrifice for others. We can learn to be patient in situations of unavoidable suffering. It helps us to examine our conscience. We can think about how we have sinned, how it makes our Lord suffer, and then have remorse.




7. We learn to hope in the promise of salvation.


Christ’s promise of salvation far outweighed the horrors he had to endure. HIs suffering was redemptive not because it was full of pain but because He endured it with great love. When we unite our struggles with our wounded Saviour, we can learn to bear them well. We can find courage and strength in times of difficulty because of His merciful love. We can trust in Him.

The key to praying the Stations of the Cross well is with sincerity of heart.

Merits of Praying the Stations of the Cross